Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing of ESP according to Customer’s Unique Requirements

For the production of highly complex plastic items NOVOMET acquired selective laser sintering (SLS) units manufactured by EOS Company, Germany. Nowadays three units are in operation (P380), the first one started operation in September, 2003.

An important note for this technology is that geometrical complexity of the item is of no importance. Machine working site is 320х320х620 mm. And should the item dimensions exceed the above machine site, there is always the chance to assemble the components by gluing, since we are dealing with plastics.

The production process looks as follows:

• The source data for the machine is an electronic analog created in any CAD system (computer-aided design).
• The master program is prepared with the help of specialized software, the master program is intended to separate the CAD model into layers. Each layer is 0.15 mm thick.
• A special device called ‘recoater’ supplies the first layer of the powder onto the traveling platform.
• The laser starts treatment of the first cross section and sinters it in accordance with the program. Then recoater adds powder to the working ground again, and heaters create the working atmosphere for the laser (layers are glued to each other).
• The process goes on until the item is finished, i.e. ‘topped’ layer after layer.
  To make the process look simpler let’s imagine the following. You use scissors and cut the first profile, then cut the second one and then stack and glue them together. In our case laser is used like scissors

Starting from its foundation the Laser sintering laboratory at NOVOMET with the help of selective laser sintering plants has mastered and brought to serial production more than 100 items, including preproduction models of pump cascades of different sizes, namely:

• Series R (6,77”) capacity 500, 1000, 1500, 2500, 3000, 4000 m³/day;
• Series P (5,35”) capacity 750, 1250 m³/day;
• Series N (5,12”) capacity 1600 m³/day;
• Series J (4,49”) capacity 1000, 1250 m³/day;
• Series H (4,06”) capacity 400, 500, 700, 950 m³/day;
• Series D (3,38”) capacity 320 m³/day;

NOVOMET uses «P» type machine (plastic), i. e. all items and components produced by this machine are made of plastic. Casting of ‘consumable patterns’ mainly uses polystyrene PrimeCast 100, PrimeCast 101. This means that one ‘topped’ item corresponds to one cast item. The main advantage of producing plastic components is that in this case we avoid designing stage and manufacturing of fixtures and accessories.

Another material that we use is polyamide PA 2200, PA 3200. It is designed to produce full-value functioning plastic models. In addition NOVOMET produces different components for other customers, as a rule, machine building factories (manufacture of electric saw casing, telephone set prototype etc.).

At present the company can manufacture any cascade within one month provided the CAD model is available. Should there be required an alternative, that is manufacture of a cascade using fixtures and accessories, then the period may be extended from 3 to 6 months depending complexity of the component.